- in Tythes,' 1822; second edition, with an Appendix, 1823.
- 'Observations on J. K. L.'s [Bishop Doyle's] Letter to the Marquess Wellesley; on Tracts and Topics by E. Barton; and on the Letter to Mr. Abercrombie,' 1824.
- 'Review of the Correspondence between the Earl of Mountcashell and the Bishop of Ferns, with the Letters,' 1830.
- 'Reply to John Search's [Archbishop Whateley's] Considerations on the Law of Libel as relating to Publications on the subject of Religion,' 1834.
Elrington also published separate sermons and charges, and edited, for the use of Trinity College, 'Euclid's Elements, the first Six Books,' 1788 (ten or twelve times reprinted); 'Locke on Government, with Notes,' 1798; and 'Juvenalis et Persius, edito expurgata,' 1808.
[Dublin University Calendars; Todd's Cat. of Dublin Graduates; Cotton's Fasti Eddles. Hibern. 1. 391, ii. p. 36; Annual Register (1835), lxxvii. chron. 232; British Mag. (1835-6), viii. 507, ix. 5.]
ELSDALE, ROBINSON (1744–1783), autobiographer, entered the navy as a midshipman, but left early by reason of the slowness of promotion, and served in various privateers cruising against the French, chiefly off the coast of Hispaniola and the west coast of Africa, between 1762 and 1779, when he retired. For the benefit of his wife he wrote an account of some of the most exciting adventures and experiences which he had met with during his sea life. Those episodes in a life of adventure are told in a fresh, simple, and lively style, and abound in hair-breadth escapes and romantic incidents. The manuscript fell into the hands of Captain Manyat, and was freely used by him in the earlier chapters of 'Extracts from the Log of a privateersman One Hundred Years Ago' (1846). After his retirement from active service Elsdale lived quietly on an estate at Surfleet, Lincolnshire, which had been in his family for many generations. He died in 1783. Elsdale married In 1779 Miss Ann Gibbins, a lady of great beauty and intelligence, by whom he had two sons, Samuel and Robinson. Samuel was educated at Lincoln College, Oxford, graduating B.A. in 1803, M.A. 1809, took holy orders and a fellowship, and became the master of the grammar school, Moulton, Lincolnshire, was a frequent contributor to magazines, and the author of a volume of sacred poetry entitled 'Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell; a Poem, with Hymns and other Poems,' 1812, 8vo; 3rd ed. 1813. He died on 13 July 1827.
[Robinson Elsdale's MS. Journal now in the possession of Major Elsdale, R.A., of Woolwich, his great-grandson; Dict. of Living Authors, 1816; information from Major Elsdale; Cal. Oxford Grad.]
ELSTOB, ELIZABETH (1683–1758), Anglo-Saxon scholar, was born on 29 Sept. 1683 in St. Nicholas parish, Newcastle-on-Tyne. She was the sister of William Elstob [q.v.], and it is said (Nichols, Anecd. iv. 139) that Dr. Hickes was her grandfather by her mother s side. As Hickes, born 1644, married in 1679, this is impossible. She appears to have been really his niece. She had learnt her 'accidence and grammar' at the age of eight, when her mother died. Her guardian stopped her studies, thinking that one 'tongue was enough for a woman.' She obtained leave, however to learn French, and upon going to live with her brother at Oxford was encouraged by him to learn eight languages, including Latin. In 1709 she published the 'English-Saxon Homliy on the Nativity of St. Gregory,' with an English translation and a preface. The book was printed by subscription and dedicated to Queen Anne. Her portrait is inserted in the initial letter G. Lord Oxford obtained some assistance from the queen in a proposed edition by her of the homilies of Ælfric (fl. 1006) [q. v.] Her scheme is advocated in a letter by her to the prebendary Elstob, in 'Some Testimonies of Learned Men in favour of the intended version of the Saxon Homilies.' The original manuscript is in the Lansdowne MSS. No. 458. The printing was actually begun at Oxford, and a fragment of thirty-six pages, presented by Sir Henry Ellis, is in the British Museum. It never reached publication. In 1715 she published 'Rudiments of Grammar for the English-Saxon Tongue, first given in English; with an apology for the Study of Northern Antiquities.' A new set of types was provided for this at the expense of Chief-justice Parker, afterwards Lord Macclesfield (Nichols, Anecd. i. 67).
After her brother's death she became dependent on her friends and received some help from Bishop Smalridge. She retired to Evesham in Worcestershire, where she set up a school. After a hard struggle she obtained so many pupils that she had 'scarcely time to eat.' She made the acquaintance of George Ballard [q.v.], then of Campden in Gloucestershire, and of Mrs. Chapone (often called Capon), wife of a clergyman who kept a school at Stanton in the same county. Mrs. Chapone (whose maiden name was Sarah Kirkman) was an intimate friend of Mary Grenville, afterwards Mrs. Pendarves, and finally Mrs. Delaney [q. v.], and mother of John Chapone, husband of Hester Chapone [q. v.]
